


Player in High Heels

by ElwenTheTimeComes



Category: Rizzoli & Isles, The L Word (TV 2004)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, New York City, One Night Stand, Somewhere between Tibette's divorce and Generation Q, art gallery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:01:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElwenTheTimeComes/pseuds/ElwenTheTimeComes
Summary: Maura and Jane attend a fundraiser at an art gallery in NYC and meet the mysterious Bette Porter.
Relationships: Maura Isles/Bette Porter
Comments: 26
Kudos: 36





	1. Let's Go

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of the jokes are references to various episodes from the TV shows. You don't need the references to understand this story though.  
> Please excuse any potential mistake, English is not my first language.  
> I do not own the rights to these characters but I do own this story, so please don't post it elsewhere.  
> Feel free to let me know what you think!  
> Enjoy! :)

“You can’t be serious.”

It had been a really long day. Actually, it had been a really long couple of days. They had flown in from Boston the morning before to help the local police on an open case, as they often did when they suspected cases from different jurisdictions to be linked. It was important to rule out any potential connection between the series of murders that had recently been committed in Boston and the ones that had started last week here in New York City ̶ because if all these murders were the work of one single offender, that meant the killer was on the run. And that was going to make him that much more complicated to catch. Not to mention all the administrative crap and paperwork they were going to have to go through. That’s what Jane dreaded the most.

Fortunately, they had left the station earlier that day with a light heart: the murders were definitely not linked. That meant no cross-border investigation. That meant she was going to have a quiet evening and fly home to Boston the next day.

Unfortunately, right now, it looked like the ‘quiet evening’ idea had just gone out the window. Maura was stepping out of the bathroom in an evening gown and a fresh face of makeup, her beautiful strawberry blond curls bouncing around.

“You didn’t forget, did you?” Maura asked as she walked to the closet.

“Forget what, are you going somewhere?” said the brunette as she kicked open her suitcase and picked up a faded t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

“Jane! You promised you’d come with me to the fundraiser tonight. Come on, it’s going to be fun!” she said, beaming with enthusiasm.

“Maura, it’s Friday night, we’ve been working a lot and all I want right now is to take a hot shower, order some food and pass out on this hotel bed right here.”

“This is New York City Jane, the City That Never Sleeps! Don’t you want to go out and explore?”

Jane gave a loud sigh. “Ok, so, first of all, we booked the return flight tomorrow evening so we could go and _explore_ the city tomorrow. This city may never sleep but I sure as hell intend to.” She continued talking as she gathered her hair to tie it up. “Second of all, New York or not New York, I’m ready to bet all we’re going to see are the same stinky streets and the same boring grey concrete buildings we can find in Boston or any city on the East Coast. The only difference is, here we might find more Italians, but I can’t really say that it’s a big change of scenery for me.” She held her finger up for a few seconds, looking for a third argument. “And…. Third of all, I don’t have anything to wear.”

It took Maura about three seconds to open the closet and produce a black evening dress. “Nice try.” She handed it to Jane. “You give me so little credit. Do you really think I don’t know you by now?”

Jane reluctantly took the dress and held it out in front of her, taking it in. “I’m guessing you even packed shoes for me?”

“Pumps for you, peep toes for me. And a purse to match your dress” she added with a satisfied smirk.

“Jesus Maura… I guess that explains why your suitcase was three times as big as mine.” Despite all her complaining, Jane had to admit she was always impressed by the level of determination and preparation that Maura was always demonstrating. She seemed to have an endless supply of energy and a true eagerness to experience everything life had to offer. She was the ‘Yes And’ to Jane’s “No”. And that’s why she was her best friend.

“I see a smile. Does this mean I’ve won?”

Jane hadn’t noticed the smile that had formed on her face while she was lost in her thoughts. She snapped back to reality and put the dress down on the bed between them. “Maura, when’s the last time you saw me in a dress? I’m going to look stupid.”

“Need I remind you that the last time you wore a suit to a formal event, everyone thought you were with the catering crew?” Maura asked with a chuckle.

A laugh escaped Jane’s lips and she rolled her eyes. “Oh my god! Don’t remind me… I was ready to kill someone that night.”

They laughed together at the memory.

Jane’s resolve was starting to give. “Fine…” She picked up the dress. “But wait, what about Korsak? We can’t just leave him here.”

“Unlike you, Korsak never forgot the promise he made me.” Maura looked at her watch. “By now, he must be ready to go. You’re going to keep the both of us waiting if you don’t hop into the shower very soon Jane” she added, folding her arms.

Jane had to admit defeat. She dragged herself around the bed and into the bathroom. Just as she was about to close the door, she turned back around. “Maura, I ̶ “

“There’s a shaving kit in the bathroom.”

“You’re not human!” Jane mumbled before slamming the bathroom door.


	2. License to Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maura, Jane and Korsak arrive at the art gallery and start looking around...

“I can’t believe I let her drag me into this. _Again_. And I can’t believe you teamed up with her.”

“Come on Jane, we’re going to have a nice evening. You look great, by the way.”

Jane looked down at her outfit. “Thanks, Korsak… You clean up pretty good, too.”

Korsak smiled at her. They were standing a few feet behind Maura, who was talking with the woman in charge of the guest list. The lady soon found her name and ushered the three of them inside the museum.

The room they were standing in was quite large and filled with little groups of people. Paintings and photographs of various sizes adorned the walls around them, and the wall at the far end of the room in front of them seemed to be composed of one continuous painting. From where they stood, it was impossible to say where the painting ended and where the wall started.

But what truly caught their attention was the massive metal sculpture that occupied the centre of the room. It was made up of two large, flat pieces of brushed metal that started from the ground and winded together up to the ceiling, without ever touching. Around them were smaller pieces of metal, very thin this time, that formed an intricate mesh, like metal lace.

“It’s breath-taking” said Maura, visibly enthralled by the work.

They walked around the sculpture to see every angle. Jane leaned to whisper in Korsak’s ear. “I thought I didn’t understand it because I wasn’t looking at it from the right angle but I’m not sure there’s a right angle to look at this.”

Korsak suppressed a chuckle. “You need to open your third eye, Jane” he said in a sarcastic tone.

“Yeah, right.” Her stomach gave an audible growl. “Well, my third eye’s feeling pretty hungry right now.” They both giggled. “Gosh, I feel like such a fraud here… Look at all these fancy people. I can’t see what they see in all this artistic stuff.”

A waiter came around to bring them a glass of champagne. They both took a glass and thanked the waiter.

“But you sure can drink their champagne” added Korsak, raising his glass.

“Yes I can” she replied, and they clinked glasses.

They looked around them to clink glasses with Maura, but she was already talking with a group of strangers. Just as their eyes found her, she turned around and beckoned them to join her. They both took a deep breath and closed the distance.

“Jane, Vince, I would like to introduce you to Jeremiah Fields. He’s a dear friend of mine and he’s the one who invited us tonight. Jeremiah, this is Detective Jane Rizzoli and Sergeant Korsak.”

The man was dressed in a very stylish suit and a bow tie. His thin face was framed by large, square, white glasses, and his wavy black hair was worn to one side. He held out his hand with a warm smile, starting with Jane. “Detective, Sergeant, I have heard so many tales about you. Doctor Isles really holds you in high esteem. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Jane and Korsak took turns shaking the man’s hand. “The pleasure’s all mine” said the brunette with a warm smile. “Are you the artist?” she asked, pointing to the metal piece at the center of the room.

“God no!” he replied, chuckling. “I wish I could say that I fathered this masterpiece, but I would be quite unable to do anything of the sort.”

“Not a big fan of welding?” asked Korsak.

“I’m afraid I only wield brushes” the artist admitted, waving an imaginary brush in the air as he said so.

Maura stepped in. “Jeremiah is a wonderful painter. You can see some of his creations around the room tonight, his biggest one being the mural fresco over there” she said, pointing to the back of the room, behind Jane and Korsak. “He is known for his one-of-a-kind technique and his experimental use of color. He’s already had his worked exhibited all across the world.” She turned her attention back to Jeremiah and asked: “Where was the last exhibition you invited me to? Wasn’t it in Prague?”

“I believe the last one was in Budapest, Dr. Isles.”

“Please, call me Maura.”

“Of course. You keep telling me.” There was a short pause. “Would you like me to give you a tour of the exhibition?”

Jane and Korsak forced their best smile. Jeremiah turned around and started moving through the room, never stopping his conversation with Maura. The two cops followed them from a few feet away.

“ _Wasn’t it in Prague_?” Jane said to Korsak, imitating Maura’s voice but keeping her voice down so that only the Sergeant could hear. The two of them started giggling.

“Well, at least he’s not a colorectal doctor.”

Jane playfully punched her friend on the shoulder. “Korsak! Don’t joke about that!”

“I’m sorry. Too soon?” he asked, raising his hands in mock surrender.

“I’d be watching his ass if there was any… Befriending going on” she said, motioning in the general direction of Maura and Jeremiah a few feet ahead of them. “But there’s nothing to be worried about here.”

“Why’s that?”

Jane halted and looked at Korsak, who instinctly stopped walking as well. “Are you blind? He’s clearly not into women.”

They were still keeping their voices low. Korsak took another look at the artist. “Hmm. Maybe not. But since when are you the expert on whether people are gay or not?”

“Oh please” she said, rolling her eyes, “You can’t _always_ tell, but here you can definitely tell.”

Before Korsak had time to argue, they heard Maura walking back to them. “Jane! Why aren’t you two following?”

“Oh no, we are, it’s just… Korsak was telling me he had to use the bathroom” Jane blurted out, silently prompting her male friend to play along.

“But Jeremiah just told me he was going to introduce us to the gallery curator! This is such a privilege!” exclaimed the blonde.

“Lucky us!” Jane replied in her signature sarcastic tone. She got a pointed look from Maura.

“You girls go ahead, I’ll catch up. Don’t worry about me.”

“We’ll be waiting for Jeremiah and the curator in the other room, Sergeant. Don’t be too long!” Upon those words, she laced her arm into Jane’s and spun around.

As they started walking away towards the second room, Jane spoke up. “They’re not going to be asking me for money, are they? I agreed to come here Maura, but the last time I went with you to a fundraiser they _extorted_ me, remember?”

Maura let out a chuckle. “No Jane, don’t worry, it’s an art gallery, not a charity event for a rare disease, so they’re far less likely to guilt-trip you into donating money you don’t have.”

“You wanna bet?”

“Just say no if they ask!”

Jane kept mumbling for a few seconds, not only just for the sake of it but also because she knew her moodiness would make Maura laugh. And it did.

When they arrived in the second room, the first thing Jane caught sight of was the massive table lined with a wide array of food ranging from appetizer to dessert. She felt her stomach growl once more. But her friend kept walking on, past the buffet and towards the other end of the room.

“Maura, what are you doing? The buffet is over there. You promised!”

“Jane, we’re not going to meet the curator while we’re at the buffet. Here, we’ll look at the paintings in this room while we wait.”

“I’m sure the _curator_ would be _delighted_ to see that we’re _appreciating_ the _hospitality_.”

“Why are you talking with this broken British accent?”

“It’s not broken, Maura, it’s fancy.”

The blonde looked at her friend, torn between desperation and amusement. She decided to turn her focus to the painting in front of them when she heard Jeremiah’s voice from behind.

“Dr Isles, Detective Rizzoli?”

The two friends turned around to face the actual masterpiece of the museum.


	3. Leading Lady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our three friends finally meet the captivating Bette Porter

Jane almost dropped her glass. Before them stood a gorgeous woman, and she stood tall. Not only was she as tall as Jane (which was unusual for a woman), but she exuded confidence. She had an aura about her, something that the two friends instantly picked up on. She had piercing yet warm eyes, an enticing smile and straight brown hair that fell just above her shoulders. She was wearing a very classy black jumpsuit that complemented her light bronze skin and exposed her toned arms and back.

A glass of champagne in her left hand, the woman extended her right hand towards Maura. “Bette Porter, Curator and program coordinator of the New York State of the Art Gallery.”

The doctor and the detective took turns shaking her hand and introducing themselves, both trying to shake themselves out of the trance-like state they were experiencing as they did.

“Doctor Maura Isles, Chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

“Detective Jane Rizzoli, Boston PD.”

The curator raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed. “To what do I owe this honor? Should I be worried someone was or is about to be murdered?” she asked with a smirk.

“Of course not” replied Maura, placing one of her own hair locks behind her ear. “We were simply in New York for business and we extended our trip so we could attend the fundraiser. I’ve been wanting to visit the gallery for a while now.”

“Doctor Isles has been dying to come here. It’s all she’s been talking about for weeks!” added Jane jokingly.

Jeremiah jumped in. “Doctor Isles is a very generous lover of the arts. She has bought many pieces and donated money to help protect artists and their art. She’s a dear friend of mine and a very au courant art enthusiast.”

Bette was still holding Maura’s eye contact, as she had from the moment their eyes had met. “Is that so? I’m happy to hear that. Most of the people who come to art galleries these days don’t know the first thing about art. They come here to be seen but could not hold a conversation… Philistines.”

Bette, Maura and Jeremiah shared a chuckle, and Jane instinctively followed suit. The truth is that she had no idea what that word meant, but she didn’t want to be singled out.

“But I’m guessing they’re the biggest donators” pointed the blonde.

Bette raised her left hand, the one holding the glass, and pointed her index finger at Maura. “Exactly.” Then, for the first time, she broke eye contact with Maura to guide everyone’s attention to the room around them. “Which is why we host events like this one. However, a part of me is always hoping to meet new artists or new interesting people who have more to offer than simply the content of their wallets.”

Watching her, Jane was trying to figure out how she felt about the woman, but her usual instincts, those gut feelings that made her such a good cop, were of no help to her right now. She felt pulled in all different directions. She respected the woman’s power and confidence, and yet she despised her haughtiness; she felt enthralled by her voice and her stare, and yet she felt disregarded. This woman was unlike the ones Maura would usually introduce her to at these events ̶ hypocrital and spiteful ̶ and whom Jane knew her friend despised just as much as she did herself. There was something deeply charismatic about this woman with bronze skin, but she could not quite put her finger on it.

By the time she pulled herself out of her own thoughts, the conversation had already moved on to a discussion about the way art was perceived, produced, and purchased among the different socio-economic spheres. Try as she might, she could not understand let alone contribute to the exchange between the two women. She looked over at Jeremiah, who was following but seemed in no way willing to provide any input.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Jane offered politely, “I’m going to go check on my friend.” The other women briefly interrupted their conversation to give her a nod before reprising where they had left off.

*******

Jane spotted Korsak by the buffet, his back to her. She went up to him and leaned in. “You’re such a freaking liar! You said you would come back and you didn’t! Worse yet, you went to the buffet without me.”

Korsak looked at her with amusement. “No, I said I’d catch up with you. And I did! I came into the same room and I kept an eye from afar.”

“Yeah right, you kept an eye on us and a hand on the buffet.”

“Jealous?” he asked, waving a canapé under her nose.

“Very.” She looked over the table and quickly picked out an appetizer that she almost shoved into her mouth. “Oh my goodness, this is _nice_!”

“That’s the silver lining of following Maura into her fancy fundraisers” he pointed.

Jane was already trying another appetizer. “I’m pretty sure the food on this table is more expensive than everything I own.”

“You and me both!” They laughed and ate and drank some more. “Feeling better now?” Korsak asked after a few minutes.

“Yeah, definitely” Jane answered, rubbing her belly. “Okay. Back to business. We have a situation.”

“We do?”

The brunette grabbed her friend’s shoulders and spun him around. She pointed to Maura and Bette. Jeremiah was no longer with them, and they were still deep in conversation. The two friends walked a few steps to the right so they could get a perfect direct side view of the two women. “See that woman Maura’s talking with?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think?”

Korsak looked again. “Wow!”

Jane looked at him and asked in a blunt tone, “Really? I ask a sergeant to give me his first impression of someone and that’s all you have to say?”

“You never said you were asking the cop in me.”

“Well, I _am_.”

“Fine.” He turned to look at the curator a third time. “Wow!” Jane gave him a slap on the shoulder and they both giggled. “What do you want me to say? That woman is gorgeous! And from the looks of it, considering she’s holding a conversation with Doctor Isles, she must be quite brilliant, too!”

“Yeah, she is… And she has such an aura about her, you know? She’s got this calm, deep voice and these incredible eyes… I mean that lady could be telling me all about how paper clips are made and I’d still be willing to listen.”

“Some people just have that charisma.” He turned to Jane. “You have that charisma. Everyone loves you.”

“Maybe, but I sure found my match.” Just as she said that, Bette leaned in to whisper something into Maura’s ear, which caused the blonde to put her right hand to her chest, tilt her head back and let out a laugh. Bette laughed along with her.

“Well, at least she’s not a colorectal doctor.”

“Korsak, you already made that joke.” They both laughed. “She’s the _Curator and program coordinator of the New York State of the Art Gallery_.” Jane said in her sarcastic, ‘fancy’ voice.

“Detective, I think we may finally have found someone with a job title as long as Maura’s” he pointed jokingly.

“Oh my God, Sergeant, I think you’re right!”

“Does the curator have a name?”

“Bette Porter.”

“I’ve heard that name before” Korsak said with a slight frown, visibly searching his memory.

“Yeah, I have, too. I’ve been trying to remember where I heard her name before but I can’t seem to put my finger on it…” She paused to think for a moment. “Hold up.”

Jane pulled her cell phone from her purse. “Your phone goes on the internet?”

“Most people left the stone age, Korsak” replied the brunette as she started typing the curator’s name into her search engine.

“My cell phone allows me to send texts and make calls, I’d say that’s all a phone needs to do. I’m not stuck to it all day that way!”

“Maybe, but your phone can’t tell you who the mystery lady is” she added, nudging him. “Okay, got it.” She started scrolling through the article she had found, mumbling some words as she went. “Right! Remember the whole controversy over an exhibition in L.A. about ten years ago, when things escalated between the Californian Art Center and a radical right-wing religious group?”

“Yeah, I remember there was a debate on television. People even got arrested.”

“ _Bette Porter_ was the curator of the CAC back then. She’s the one who was defending the exhibition on TV.” Jane continued reading in her head before adding: “It got pretty ugly. That right-wing woman couldn’t win with arguments, so she started launching personal attacks on Porter.”

Korsak turned to look at Jane. “She attacked her on her sexuality, didn’t she?”

“Precisely. She…” Jane widened her eyes at the screen before turning to look at Korsak. “She celebrated the fact that Bette’s partner at the time just had a miscarriage, saying that the baby was better off dead than being raised by same-sex parents.” They both took a moment to let the information sink in.

“What a bitch.”

“You don’t say!” Jane turned her attention back to the curator on the other side of the room. “I remembered her name but I didn’t remember all that. I can’t believe people can think that kind of stuff, let alone say it to someone’s face.”

“This was ten years ago, Jane.”

“Do you think _stupidity_ has been fully eradicated since?”

“Fair point.” Korsak picked up two glasses of champagne off a waiter passing by and offered one to Jane. They both took a long sip.

Jane looked at her phone again. “How do you write philistine? Is it with an F or ̶ “

“P-H” replied Korsak.

“Ok, got it…” she looked through the results and eventually clicked on the link to an online dictionary. She read the definition in silence and inhaled sharply. She officially felt offended. “The nerve!”

“What? Why?”

She looked up at the two women. They were a bit closer now, having moved to look at another painting. Every now and again, the women would look at each other to punctuate what they were saying, exposing their profiles to the two detectives for a brief moment before turning their attention back to the painting. Jane was happy to see her friend smiling so much. “Nevermind” she said. “I give her a pass on this one.”

“I’m glad we came. Maura seems to be enjoying herself here.”

Just as he said that, the two cops watched as Bette Porter gently placed her left hand on Maura’s lower back to guide her towards yet another frame.

“Well, at least _someone_ is enjoying herself” scoffed the brunette.

“Do you think Maura noticed she’s being wooed?”

Jane turned to look at Korsak. “ _Wooed_?” They both laughed. “You’re talking about the woman who can’t tell when I’m being sarcastic. I’m pretty sure she can’t tell that woman is flirting with her.”

*******

When Bette’s hand landed on her lower back, Maura immediately felt shivers go up her spine. However, her first instinct was not to pull away from this sudden touch, but to slow her pace so she could ever-so-slightly lean into it.

She had heard rumors about Bette Porter, she had read articles, but nothing had prepared her for this meeting. Maura had felt captivated from the moment her eyes landed on the curator. But Maura knew better than to judge a person solely on charisma. She had waited to have to chance to hold a conversation with the other woman, and she had not been disappointed. Bette was obviously very educated and had a lot of experience in her own field, which explained why she was so highly regarded and so fiercely sought after in the art world.

For every opinion Maura shared, Bette had an argument, an anecdote or a theory to offer back, whether they agreed on the subject or not. The blonde felt intellectually challenged, and if she was honest, she could not remember the last time she had had such a deep conversation with someone regarding the arts.

When they reached the new painting, Bette’s hand returned to her glass and the doctor felt a cold spot in her back where she had felt so warm just seconds before. She was fascinated by the effect this woman had on her, and the scientist in her felt compelled to see how far this dynamic between them would go.

They were now standing in front of a framed black and white photography of an old derelict factory with broken neon signs shining above it. They both stood in front of it for a minute without talking before Maura spoke up.

“This one is so powerful. There is such a strong suggestion of colors with the neon signs, even though this is a black and white picture. And the frame…” She took a step forward to look at it. “Is this industrial steel? There is a play on texture, it’s very compelling, you can almost feel it: the cool steel, the worn-out brick wall, the broken glass…”

Without moving her head, Bette noticed that the blonde was delicately rubbing her thumb and her middle finger, maybe unconsciously, as she discussed the texture. This detail made the curator smile to herself. She was glad to have met Maura tonight. Ever since ending things with Tina about a year ago, she had thrown herself into her work and closed herself off completely. She only talked with Alice, Shane and Kit every now and again, but the distance made it hard to have a meaningful relationship and made it far too easy to shut herself from the outside world. She had not gone to bars; she had not tried to meet anyone new; she needed a full reset.

She felt deeply intrigued by the doctor, not only for her intelligence and her remarkable artistic sensibility, but also because she found it easy to talk with her. She felt like Maura had no hidden agenda, was not playing mind games or trying to get something from her. It felt like a breath of fresh air to Bette. She could tell Maura was a kind soul.

And, of course, Maura’s looks had not escaped Bette’s notice, either. The doctor had a keen eye for fashion and knew just which clothes to wear in order to complement her curves. The brunette had to keep reminding herself to not look at Maura’s lips when she was talking, but by now she was pretty sure she had let her stare slip a couple of times.

“I agree. It’s one of my favorite works here. I’m already working on our next exhibition, and I would like to focus on the re-appropriation of industrial material. Steel, iron, copper, lead, and the reflection around their intrinsic value once they’re taken out and reused as art. Once they go from useful to useless ̶ I mean useless here from a very practical point of view, not an artistic or intellectual one. I want to focus more on photography and sculpture.” As she was talking, she had led Maura back into the first room where the large metal work stood. She pointed to it. “It’ll give me a good reason to keep this one around.”

“It must have been quite something to bring this work here.”

“You have no idea.” They both chuckled.

“This reminds me of the work of one of my favorite modern-day artists, Jodi Lerner. Have you heard of her?”

Bette looked down at her glass. “She’s one of the best artists in America today. She’s just incredible.”

Maura couldn’t help but notice the other woman’s sudden absence. “Do you know her personally?”

“It’s…” Bette sighed. “It’s a long story.”

Maura gently placed her hand on Bette’s wrist to take her out of wherever she was. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.” She offered with a warm, genuine smile.

Their eyes locked on each other for a while. Bette could see that the other woman had spoken with sincerity, which comforted her in her decision to let her guard down for once.

“About seven years ago, I was working as a dean at the California University School of the Arts when she came in to fill a position as a teacher. We started dating and stayed together for about a year, but it turned out we weren’t a match. I ended up hurting her.” With that she downed her glass. “It got ugly, but if I’m honest I think I deserved it. We’re better now though, and since moving to the East Coast we’ve had opportunities to clear the air and we’ve even worked together on a few projects.” Bette paused before adding with a smirk: “Which brings me to the good part.”

Maura smiled back, eager to hear more.

“I still have a work of hers, a small piece she did for me. It’s in my house. And I can promise you that it’s something you won’t have seen in any museum or magazine. It’s an exclusive.”

The doctor looked excited. “See? There’s always light in the darkness! Your home must be a art gallery in and of itself.”

“Well, I must admit that I have a few pieces I love, but since divorcing my wife and moving into a smaller house, I had to make some difficult choices. I had to put some of them in a storage unit.”

“It must have been difficult.” Bette nodded and they both walked silently around the room for a few seconds.

“As you can see, being in charge of an art gallery is highly gratifying from an artistic and intellectual point of view, but it’s not exactly a fun job. I hope I haven’t completely put you off getting involved in the art world?”

Maura chuckled. “You will have to do a lot more than that.”

“Enough about me and the gallery. I would love to hear about what you do; maybe you have better and funnier anecdotes than I do.”

“You are aware that I work in a morgue, cutting up dead people and weighing their organs, right? What makes you believe I have better, _funnier_ anecdotes?” she said with a smile.

“Well, you seem to have a quick spirit, good colleagues, and I can’t imagine that you don’t foster a light atmosphere and some comedy in your everyday life, considering the gravity of your job.” She paused to look at Maura and displayed a smirk. “Come on, tell me about that one time when someone mixed up the staff fridge and the evidence fridge and you sent their lunch up for analysis.”

She was right: Maura had an almost endless supply of funny anecdotes which she gladly shared with the other woman in a corner of the room, giggling as they tried to contain their laughter.

*******

“Come on, let’s go find Maura. We’ve been here almost four hours. I can’t feel my feet and we need to get some sleep if we want to have time to go sightseeing tomorrow before the plane ride back.” Jane grabbed Korsak’s arm and started looking for her friend. As the night had progressed, more and more people had arrived, and the rooms were significantly more crowded than when they had first stepped in.

She spotted her friend after about five minutes of scouting. The doctor was still talking to the curator. As the two detectives got closer, Jane could hear her friend’s laughter among the chatty crowd.

“… and everyone in the tech lab got high on marijuana smoke.” Maura explained.

“Because of the fan?” asked Bette.

“Yes, because Kent had improperly repaired the fan, causing it to blow the smoke _inside_ of the lab instead of evacuating it.” They both laughed again. Maura noticed Jane and Korsak approaching. “Jane! I was just telling Miss Porter about that time Kent got us high, remember?”

Jane chuckled. “How could I forget? Doctor Maura Isles, high on marijuana? I should’ve taped it, really. You would not stop making bad science jokes and you were laughing like a maniac.” Even Korsak joined in and laughed with the others. “ _Why can’t you trust atoms? Because they make up everything! Do you know what a scientist plants in his garden? A chemistree!_ ” she added, imitating Maura’s voice.

“Ok, well, in my defense, the jokes were not that bad, Jane. I’ve made worse ones!” Maura offered with a wry smile.

“Well, in your defence, I don’t think anyone under the influence of a little weed has ever said or done anything truly ground-breaking” pointed Bette jokingly.

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience, Miss Porter.”

The curator held the other brunette’s gaze head on, a smirk forming on her face. “I’m not exactly a regular user, but I’ve been coaxed into it once or twice. It’s legal in California, detective.”

Jane could feel that a tension had built between the curator and herself. It was not conscious, but their personalities seemed to constantly spark competition. She could recognize the need for dominance in the other woman as a reflection of her own and decided to step down so as not to escalate whatever was going on. She broke the eye contact and turned to Korsak. “Call off our DEA friends waiting outside, will you? Turns out we don’t have a case.”

She was pleased to see everyone else giggle, including the curator.

A man came up behind Bette and whispered something in her ear. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said to the three friends, “there is a matter to which I must attend.” She turned around, walked away from the small group, and soon enough she was lost in the sea of people.

Jane looked at her watch. “Ok, well, perfect timing. I think we should head back to the hotel.”

Maura looked at her, pleading. “You want to leave already? But we haven’t even heard the closing speech yet…”

“Maura, come on, we barely got any sleep the past couple of nights, and we can’t sleep in tomorrow if we want to walk around the city before we fly back!”

“Oh. I understand. In that case…” She opened her purse and produced a card which she handed to Jane. “Here.”

The brunette raised an eyebrow. “What’s this?”

“It’s a keycard, Jane, the one to our hotel room.”

The detective rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know that, but why are you giving it to me?”

“Because you want to leave and I want to stay. So, you two can go back to the hotel now and I’ll catch a taxi later.”

“Maura, I love you, but I’m not getting up in the middle of the night to open the door for you.”

“I have a duplicate.”

Jane sighed in surrender. “Okay, well... You stay safe, okay? And call me if you have a problem.”

“I’ll be fine Jane” said the doctor with a warm smile. “Go, get some sleep.” With that she walked away.

As the two detectives headed towards the exit, they briefly spotted the curator in a corner of the room, who gave them a polite nod from afar as a sign of parting. They returned the gesture. “Quite a woman this Miss Porter” observed Korsak.

“Yeah, that’s for sure… Wouldn’t want to have to cuff her.”

“I’d love to have to cuff her. Or better yet, I’ll let _her_ cuff _me_ ” he said jokingly.

They were laughing as they stepped out into the loud, bright streets of New York, the black canvas of the sky the only witness of the lateness of the day.


	4. Labor of Love

When Bette climbed on stage to make her closing speech, her first instinct was to scan the crowd. She had had to go from group to group, artist to donator, never able to catch a break since being pulled from her discussion with her three guests from Boston about an hour earlier. She distinctly remembered seeing the two detectives exiting the museum, and she was hoping that the medical examiner was still around.

Within seconds, her eyes had spotted the strawberry blonde hair of the doctor somewhere at the back of the room, and she felt a smirk growing on her face. She kept smiling as she took in a long breath and started her speech.

*******

Climbing down from the stage, she shook hands with a few important people who had gathered at the front of the crowd and thanked them again for coming. She lost no time making her way through the crowd, her mind set on her destination.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She took it out and saw she had just received a text message.

_From: Alice_

_OMG Bette, I just looked her up. She is fucking hot!!_

Before she had time to respond, she received a second text.

_From: Alice_

_Do you know if she’s into women?_

_To: Alice_

_I_ _intend to find out. I’ll let you know tomorrow morning._

“It was a memorable speech if I’ve ever heard one.”

Bette looked up from her phone and smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad that you decided to stick around long enough to hear it.”

“Of course.” The two women locked eyes for a moment. The eye contact was broken when someone lightly shoved Maura as the crowd was dispersing. “Well, I think it’s time for me to ̶ “

“Would you like to have one more drink? Somewhere more private maybe, away from this crowd. I’ll drive you back to your hotel personally.”

The doctor’s face lit up with a smile. “I would love to.”

Bette returned her smile. She pulled out her phone, sent a message to her assistant and slid the device back into her pocket. “Come on then, we can exit through the back to avoid the flock.”

*******

The car trip had been filled with talks of art and science. The curator was fascinated by the number of random anecdotes contained in the doctor’s brain, and she loved the mixture of passion, genuineness and awkwardness that made up the blonde’s tone. She had decided to take her guest around to see some of the most famous and beautiful spots New York City had to offer, but it seemed that Maura knew more about those spots than she did herself. After driving around for a short while, they agreed to drive back to Bette’s place ̶ the main excuse for this decision was that it would give Maura an opportunity to see some of the art work Bette had mentioned earlier.

When they pulled up in the driveway of the small suburban house, Maura took out her phone to send a reassuring message to Jane. By the time she finished, Bette had already walked around the car and opened the passenger door. The smaller woman thanked her and they made their way inside.

They almost never stopped talking, but that did not stop Maura’s brain from processing everything that was happening at the same time. She would feel spikes of heat rising through her body every time their eyes met, and she was fighting as hard as she could not to look at the other woman’s lips. She felt both mentally and physically stimulated whenever she was alone with the other woman, to a degree she was not sure she had ever experienced before. On the outside, she remained (mostly) composed, but inside she felt completely subjugated. As she followed the brunette inside, she kept looking at her exposed back and arms, muscles moving under her bronze skin.

Once inside, Bette took off her heels and let out a sigh of relief. “Please, make yourself at home. I will go and get us some wine. Red?”

“Thank you.” Maura took of her shoes as well, silently enjoying the release. She set down her purse and started walking around, looking at the photographs and the paintings.

Bette found her in the living room and handed her one of the glasses before signalling towards the couch.

“Did you decorate this place yourself?”

“Well,” said Bette as she sat down, “since I’m only renting, I didn’t do anything major such as painting the walls, but all of the furniture and decorating is mine.”

“It’s very luminous and inviting.” Maura patted the couch underneath her and laid her head back against the headrest. “And cozy!”

“After an entire day and evening of standing up in a tight dress and heels, I’m sure any couch would feel comfortable.” They both laughed.

They kept talking about Bette’s personal art collection for a moment and especially Jodi’s piece, which was standing in a corner of the living room. When their glasses were empty, Bette stood up to refill their glasses and Maura followed her into the kitchen, never interrupting their conversation. The brunette set the glasses down on the kitchen island and doubled back behind Maura to fetch the bottle of wine in the fridge. She casually set her hand on the small of the doctor’s back as she did so, just for a brief moment.

Maura felt herself blush. She set her eyes on the other woman, and for the first time, there was a moment of silence as Bette slowly poured wine into their glasses. And there it was. That already-familiar confident smirk was growing on the brunette’s face.

Bette walked around the corner of the island to bring Maura her glass. They could feel a magnetic energy building like a wave, and after a few seconds that felt like minutes, Maura could feel her heart pounding in her chest, ready to jump out.

Eventually, Bette set the two glasses on the countertop without breaking the eye contact, and after an additional couple of seconds, she let her gaze fall to Maura’s lips before bringing it back up. When she saw the other woman’s stare imitating hers, she leaned in to kiss her.

Time seemed to stop for a few seconds as the instigator of the kiss waited to see the other woman’s reaction. However she was fairly confident about the way things would go considering the extended glances they had shared, the doctor’s blushing or, more specifically, the way she had felt the blonde’s entire body relax the moment their lips had met. She smiled to herself as Maura was quick to kiss her back, proving her right.

Never breaking the kiss, Maura took a deep breath in and stood on her tiptoes to try and get closer to the taller woman. Both her hands reached up behind Bette’s neck, her thumbs gently stroking the woman’s cheeks.

The brunette’s hands mapped their way down the blonde’s body, drawing slow circle on her back and toying with her dress zipper before settling down on her hips. A quick tuck at Maura’s bottom lip was enough to deepen the kiss and to elicit a low moan from the other woman. Bette felt a surge of primal energy hit her as their tongues met, and she gently pushed Maura backwards until her back was against the kitchen island.

When Bette’s lips left hers, Maura opened her eyes just long enough to see a dark glimmer in the other woman’s eyes, which were now fully dilated. She felt her own eyes shut close again when Bette’s mouth started trailing kisses down and up her neck before settling on that spot under her ear. Maura tilted her head back without even thinking about it, exposing more of that area to the other woman. She could feel her own pulse stampeding in her ears. She was trying to control her breathing, but this task was made all the more complicated by the action of Bette’s leg gently grinding between her thighs.

Eventually, Maura let go of the countertop she had been desperately clenching to reach up behind her. The temperature was rising uncontrollably, and she could already feel strands of her hair stuck to her forehead. But try as she might, in her position, the top of the zipper was just out of reach.

Without stopping what she was doing, Bette reached around to help her pull down the zipper. After one last kiss to the spot she had been working her magic on, she straightened up to help Maura out of her dress. Their bodies pressed against each other, she trailed a finger on the blonde’s forehead before tucking a hair lock behind her ear. Her eyes found Maura’s and she looked at her fondly. She felt two hands snaking up her arms, slowing on their way up to feel her upper arms and finally her shoulders. They both smiled and the doctor pulled her in for another hungry kiss. That was all the confirmation Bette needed to pursue what she had started. She helped Maura onto the kitchen counter and let her mouth travel south to explore the blonde’s body.


	5. Lift Up

Maura had been awakened by the warm caress of the sun on her arm. She opened one eye to realise that, although the blinds were closed, some stray shafts of sunlight still managed to breach in through small openings. She could feel a protective arm wrapped around her waist under the cover, and she could smell Bette all around her. Considering the presence of the sun and the orientation of the house, she knew that it was still morning, and she did not want to jeopardize this moment just to reach for her phone.

She closed her eyes again. She could hear and feel Bette breathing behind her. Maura took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, a content smile on her face.

“Good morning, doctor.”

“Good morning. How long have you been up?”

“Not long. You?”

“I just woke up. I was just enjoying the moment” Maura said as a yawn escaped her lips.

“I know what you mean… I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this relaxed.”

“The unparalleled wonders oxytocin and serotonin can have on your body… And there were quite a lot of those involved last night.” They both laughed.

Maura placed her arm on top of Bette’s around her waist, and they remained silent for a few minutes, basking in bliss.

*******

Bette had insisted on driving Maura wherever she needed to go, and Maura was glad she had. The car ride, made longer than expected because of traffic, had given them another opportunity to explore and discuss various topics, be it professional or personal. They spoke even more freely than the evening before.

As the car pulled over to park, the doctor felt her heart sink a little.

“There you go, Yankee Stadium.”

“Thank you for giving me a ride.”

“Of course. Are your friends inside already?”

“Yes, I told them to do the tour without me. They should be out soon.”

“Well, thank you for coming, really. To be honest, between the stress, the expectations, the stakes and the hypocrisy that come with this type of event, I was dreading the fundraiser last night, and meeting you was truly the highlight of the evening” Bette offered with a smile.

Maura tilted her head slightly. “I’m delighted to hear this. Thank you for being an amazing host, and for the wonderful evening.” She paused for a second. “And… night.” They both laughed.

Bette reached into the purse under her seat and handed a card to Maura. “If you ever want to talk about anything, I’ll be happy to hear from you.”

The doctor took the card and placed it in her wallet for safekeeping before handing her own card to the other woman. “If you’re ever in Boston, give me a call.”

“I will.”

Maura felt her phone buzz in her lap. She glanced down at it. “I have to go. Thanks again for everything.”

Bette held out her hand and they shook hands, smiling as they did. “Enjoy the rest of your trip, doctor.”

Maura gave a nod and exited the car. She turned around, waved one last time, and saw Bette do the same before pulling out and driving away. She headed towards the entrance of the stadium where she could see Jane sporting a brand-new Yankee cap and carrying a large bag from the stadium’s gift shop.

*******

They were walking down a large New York City street towards the Italian restaurant they had selected for lunch. They were trailing a few feet behind Korsak.

Jane leaned in towards Maura. “Someone didn’t come back to the hotel last night. Someone’s doing the walk of shame.”

Maura looked at her friend, amused. “Now you’re just being jealous.”

“So, did you two just talk all night or…” asked the brunette, wiggling her eyebrows.

“We talked a lot, but mostly we had sex.”

Korsak turned around. “Maura!” Jane exclaimed.

“What? You asked me.”

Korsak chuckled and started walking again. Once a safe hearing distance had been established, the two girls followed.

“Tell me _everything_.” Jane said with a devilish grin on her face.

“Well, there is an overwhelming scientific consensus that women who partake in homosexual intercourse are far more likely to reach orgasm than women who partake in heterosexual intercourse. Studies also show that sexual encounters between women last significantly longer and that the number, duration and intensity of orgasms achieved during lesbian intercourse far exceeds that of heterosexual couples.”

“You’re Googlemouthing again” sighed the cop. Her friend rolled her eyes, smiling.

“You know, she has such a brilliant mind, Jane.”

“And a brilliant _bod_.” They giggled. “So this was all in the name of science, right? You wanted to check those facts?”

“Absolutely.”

“And did you...?” She took a quick glance at Korsak to check that he was not within earshot before whispering to her friend. “Orgasm?”

“Nine times.”

“Nine times?!” Jane shouted, causing Korsak to turn around once more. The three of them all looked at one another briefly before going back to walking.

“And not the half-baked kind.” Maura said, trying not to laugh at her friend’s bewildered face.

“On a scale from one to ten?”

“A solid twelve.”

“Oh _come on_ , now you’re just showing off!” Jane said, fake-punching her friend’s arm.

“Here we are!” said Korsak, coming to a halt. “This is supposed to be the best pizza in New York. I hope you girls are hungry” he said as he opened the door and held it out for the two friends.

“Well, I bet Maura’s _very_ hungry…”

The two girls’ laughter echoed through the crowded restaurant as the two women stepped in.

***

A few miles away, in the same city, a phone rang. Still driving, Bette activated her hands-free system and took the call. “Bette Porter talking.”

“Nosy Alice talking.” Bette laughed. “You don’t get slack just because you’re on the opposite coast. You better start talking, lady.”


End file.
